Thill-coupling.



PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

J. A. GREEN.

THILL COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1905.

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JAMES ALPHEUS GREEN, OF MILLDALE, VIRGINIA.

THlLL-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed May 20, 1905. Serial No. 261,414.

To a whmn it may concern:

Beit known that I, J AMES ALPHEUS GREEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milldale, in the county of Warren and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to thill-couplings, and is designed moreparticularly as an improvement on the device for which Letters Patentwere granted to me October 1, 1901, No. 683,854, which consists of athill-coupling for the ordinary clip, said coupling having an upper jawand lower jaw arranged with such relation to each other as to admit ofsufficient freedom of motion as to allow the lower jaw to close on abolt of any size and prevent the rattling and automatically take up itsown wear.

Generally considered, the present invention relates to a thill-couplingwhich will obviate the use of bushing or other type of packing and whichwill automatically take up wear and adapt itself to coupling-pins,bolts, and like fastenings varying in size, with the result thatlooseness of any kind is prevented and rattling wholly obviated.

With the objects aforesaid in view it is the purpose of the presentinvention to devise simple appliances for attaining the desired end andwhich will admit of the thills, pole, or like draft device being readilycoupled to and uncoupled from the vehicle and which at the same timewill admit of easy and ready manipulation of the parts when effectingthe coupling and uncoupling, entirely automatic.

In its organization the coupling comprises a thill-iron provided with ahook constituting a jaw and dog pivoted thereto and provided with arecess constituting a companion jaw for cooperation with the jaw of thethill-iron, a lock-lever fulcrumed to the thill-iron or other convenientportion of the thill or pole and adapted for cooperation with thepivoted dog to prevent displacement thereof after the coupling has oncebeen effected, and a spring normally exerting a pressure upon thelocklever to cause it to exert a pressure upon the pivoted dog, wherebywear is automatically taken up and the coupling is enabled toautomatically adjust itself to variable fastenings applied to the axleor thill-clip For a full description of the invention and the meritsthereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of constructionof the coupling being the means for effecting the result reference is tobe had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side view of a thill-coupling embodying the invention.Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in section andillustrating the operation by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a view of thecoupling inverted, parts being broken away.

Within the purview of the invention the coupling, although particularlydesigned for the thills or shafts of vehicles, may be advantageouslyemployed for attaching poles, surrey-shafts, and like draft devices tothe various styles and types of vehicles or machines adapted to be drawnby animal power.

Inasmuch as the invention in its general adaptation is designed forvehicle-shafts, it is shown in this connection in the accompanyingdrawings, in which the thill or shaft is indicated at 1 and 2, the ironattached thereby to suitable fastenings, such as bolts 3. The thills 2may be of any formation depending upon the special use of the coupling,and its outer or attaching end is recessed to provide a hook 4, theinner portion of the recess being adapted to receive the coupling in 5or analogous fastenings cooperating with the clip 6, by means of whichthe thill, shaft, pole, or the like is attached to the vehicle to bedrawn. It is to be understood in this connection that the thill-iron maybe of integral construction, being preferably forged.

A dog 7 cooperates with the attaching end of the thill-iron and ispivoted thereto at a point between its ends, the pivot-fastening beingindicated at 8. The outer end of the dog 7 is notched or recessed, asshown at 9, to form a seat or jaw for reception of the coupling-pin orfastening 5. In the preferable construction the dog 7 is arrangedbetween lugs 10, forming a part of the thilliron and transverselyspaced, so as to receive between them said dog. The notched or grippingend of the dog 7 may be of any width, and in some instances it may bepreferable to have it correspond with the width of the hook 4, so thatthe complemental jaws of the coupling will be flush at their outersides. The dog 7 may be of any construction or shape so long as itserves, in connection with the hook 4, to firmly grip the fastening 5and provide a substantial connection that willresist the strain and wearincident to devices of this character. 1

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The outer or gripping end of the dog is made rounding, so as to obtain aclose 'fit against the inner side of the hook 4, thereby relieving thepivot connection 8 of the major part of the strain incident to the useof the coupling. The tail portion of the dog is preferably tapered andis adapted to enter a seat formed upon the under side of the iron whenthe notched end of the dog is exposed, as shown by the full lines inFig. 2, thereby being out of the way and enabling the lock-lever to lieclose to the thilliron.

The lock-lever 11 is arranged beneath the thill-iron and is pivoted at apoint between its ends thereto, and its outer end is provided with awidened portion, forming a head 12, which is adapted to come in contactwith the tail portion of the dog 7 and hold the latter in locked orclosed position, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1. The rear or handle endof the lock-lever is curved by preference and slightly tapered and isshaped to afford a con venient grip for the hand. Spaced lugs 13 projectfrom the iron 2, and the lock-lever is arranged between said lugs andpivotally connected thereto bymeans of a pin 14 or like fastening. Thelugs 13 may occupy any position with reference to the iron and may beformed in any manner found most convenient and economical inmanufacture. It is to be understood in this connection that theconfiguration of the lugs 13 and the coup ling end of thethill-iron willbe such as to enable the article to be constructed or forged in aneconomical and practical manner. It is also noted that the parts are tobe so proportioned as to enable them to occupy a compact relation andyet be easy of manipulation. A projection 15 is formed upon the inner ortop side of the handle end of the lock adjacent to its pivotal supportfor cooperation with the spring 16, so as to prevent over straining ofthe said spring when pressing upon the lock-lever to effect release ofthe do 7 when it is required to disconnect the thiIls, shafts, or thelike from the vehicle.

It is essential in the operation of the coupling that a spring beprovided to hold the lock-lever 11 in proper working position, s o as toprevent casual disengagement of the dog 7 when the invention is inoperation and also to automatically take up wear and admit of thecoupling adapting itself to different sizes of fastenings 5. This springmay be of any construction, location, and outline and is preferablyarranged so as to exert a pressure upon the lock-lever to force thehandle end away from the thill-iron and the opposite end 12 toward saidthill-iron and in contact with the dog 7. In the preferable constructiona flat spring is employed and is inter osed between the thill-ironandlock-lever an maybe attached positively to either one, as found mostadvanta eous. In some instances the spring may e attached directly tothe handle end of the lock-lever and in other cases it may be fastenedto the thill iron, and, if desired, it may be so formed as to enable thelock-lever to be dispensed with, an end portion of the spring beingextended and shaped so as to cooperate with the dog 7 to hold it inlocked position and projected beyond said dog to provide a finger-piecefor convenience of operating the spring when it is required to releasethe dog from the coupling-pin or fastening 5 of the axle-cli The springmay be attached to the thill and thilliron by the same bolt or fasteningemployed for connecting these parts, or it may be secured solely to thethill-iron by being riveted or otherwise fastened either to the baseportion thereof or to the lugs 13, to which the locklever is fulcrumed.To increase the range or usefulness of the coupling and enable it to beused under all conditions and to meet every requirement of the trade, itis contemplated to construct the parts with a view to enable theadvantageous employment of the ordinary brace used in connection withlight thills or shafts. This may necessitate varying the proportions andlocation of the lugs 13, and it is to be understood that such changesare contemplated within the purview of the invention. In this connectionit is to be observed that the lugs 13 are to be of such relative lengthas to admit of the brace passing between them and between the spring andmain forging, so as to be secured I by the same fastening or T-bolt 3commonly employed for securing the rear end of the thill to the forgingor thill-iron.

The thill-coupling, as herein stated, is of such construction as to beautomatical in operation, and when it is required to couple thillsequipped with the invention to the clipirons of a vehicle the dogs 7 aremoved to oc cupy a position with their notched ends 9 exposed, so thatwhen placing the thills in position the fastenings 5 will enter saidseats 9 and a pressure upon the thill in a rearward and downwarddirection will cause the dogs to turn upon their pivot-supports 8 andcarry said fastenings into the hook or space at the rear end of thethill-irons or forgings. This movement is effected against the tensionof the spring 16 and the action of the lock-lever, the head 12 of thelatter riding upon the tail of the dog and snapping in the rear thereofafter the coupling-pin or fastening 5 has reached the limit of itsmovement in entering the aw of the thill-iron. The parts are such thatthe lock-lever exerts a constant pressure upon the tail end of the dogto automatically take up wear between the jaws of the coupling and thecoupling-pin or fastening, thereby preventing any possible rattling orappreciable play between the parts.

As the automatic trip in a thill-coupling cannot possibly be effected inany other style of dog or clutch except as herein shown, no

pivotal or other application of spring-pressure can alter the merits ofthis invention.

Therefore as supplemental to the parent patent I claim as my inventionand desire to protect by Letters Patent 1. In an automaticthill-coupling and in combination with the thill-iron or forgingprovided with an engaging jaw, a pivoted dog provided with acomplemental jaw and having a tailpiece and a spring actuated lock-leverarranged to make positive engagement with opposite faces of saidtailpiece to hold the dog either open or closed.

2. In a thill-coupling, the combination of a thill-iron provided with anengaging end constituting a jaw, a dog cooperating therewith and havinga complemental jaw and op positely-disposed cam-faces, and aspringactuated lock device arranged to ride upon either cam-face andpositively hold the said jaws either open or closed.

3. In a thill-coupling the combination of a thilliron provided with anengaging end, a movable jaw cooperating therewith, a locklever arrangedto hold the movable jaw closed and to normally exert a pressure thereon,and provided with a projection, and a spring normally exerting apressure upon the lock-lever, and prevented from overstraining by meansof said projection.

4. The herein-described thill-coupling comprising a thill-iron havingits outer end recessed to form an engaging jaw and provided with spacedlugs a short distance from the rear of the jaw, a dog pivoted betweenits ends to the engaging end of the thill-iron and having a recess toform a companion jaw, a lock-lever pivoted between said spaced lugs andhaving its outer end widened to form a head for cooperation with thetail portion of the pivoted dog and having a projection upon its handleend and a spring interposed between the thill-iron and lock-lever andnormally exerting a pressure upon the latter substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES ALPHEUS GREEN. [t 8.]

Witnesses:

V. B. HILLYARD, T. H. JOHNSTON.

